Michael N. Hammes, chairman of Sunrise Medical Inc.,
has announced the appointment of Michael N. Cannizzaro as vice chairman, president, and chief executive officer. Cannizzaro, an executive with significant experience in successfully leading health care businesses, will also join the company’s
board of directors.
In May 2007 the company announced it will operate as two separate organizations: Sunrise Mobility and DeVilbiss Healthcare. Cannizzaro will be directly responsible for
leading Sunrise’s mobility business and he will oversee DeVilbiss Healthcare, which will continue to be managed by Kees Regeling, its president and CEO.
Cannizzaro has served as CEO of several health care businesses including Insight Health Services, National Nephrology Associates and Beltone Electronics Corp. Most recently, he was Operating Partner at J.W. Childs
Associates, a Boston, MA private equity firm where he advised on the acquisition and management of a variety of healthcare companies.
Hammes commented, “We are greatly pleased to be able attract an executive of the caliber and experience of Mike Cannizzaro. he timing of Mike’s appointment relates directly to the evolution of our business strategy and direction.”
“As a further strategic evolution, we determined that creating separate, focused businesses would improve long term prospects and management focus. This has been the driving force behind our spin-offs of DynaVox Systems and Joerns Healthcare as well as the creation of separate organizations for Sunrise Mobility and DeVilbiss Healthcare,” Hammes said.
